Pages

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Reason Why I Stay Faithful to Olympus E-5

I was flooded with three wedding assignment shoots in the past weekend, hence I did not really have any time at all for my personal shutter therapy sessions. Nonetheless it was through paid assignment that I can earn spare cash to fund this superbly expensive hobby called photography.

It was this particular shoot, right in the middle of the highlight of the event: registration of marriage, that the sky decided to pour !! I was then armed with two camera bodies, the Olympus DSLR E-5 with Zuiko 11-22mm F2.8-3.5, and Sony Alpha A350 with the SAL 50mm F1.8 DT mounted. The rain got heavier, so I decided to rest the Sony on a shedded table, and ran out into the rain, chasing the newly weds, as they left the garden (venue of the ROM) and walked into the nearby hall. It was an important part of the event, since the couple just got officially married, and the wedding march is one of the items in must photograph list. I was shooting alongside a few friends (a photographer and two videographers), but I was the only one storming out and got myself and my gear drenched.

I was in the middle of the crucial part of the photo-assignment, and not shooting was not an option.

Thank goodness I was using Olympus E-5 and 11-22mm lens, both being fully WEATHER SEALED!!

In times like these, my faith in Olympus grew even stronger. It may not be the best camera when it comes to high ISO performance and dynamic range, it may have less resolution than newer camera releases, it may not be the fastest or offer the latest cool features. However, when you get down to business, when you expect the camera to perform, it will do so, and it won't fail you. It is the camera that does not complain, it just does what it does best, deliver great photographs.

When choosing your camera, do make sure you take practical shooting into considerations. No matter how powerful or great the camera is, if you can't use it, you lose your photography opportunities.

Somehow, I think the photography gods (if they ever existed) are telling me to put the Sony away. Just my feeling. When I placed the Sony on the table which I thought was shedded, I left it there for a great deal of time. When I returned it was not longer there, and a kind gentlemen came to me and he had my Sony in his hands. He gestured to the table and I immediately knew what happened, water leaked and it was dripping directly onto the table where I left the Sony earlier. He saved my Sony A350 and the 50mm F1.8, thank you very, very much, I would have stayed and chatted with you for a while but I was busy shooting.

Sometimes, it was this little act of kindness that really brightens up your day. To that young man who looked after my camera, I owe you a camera's life !!

Robin, it is often the little acts of kindness that make life worth living. Certainly, there are some good people left!

As for the picture: what a magnificent shot, I love it. It's dynamic, it shows the rain, the umbrellas, the happy groom, the lovely bride. The B/W is very appropriate and the slight vignette keeps the eye on the topic. In my book, that's a world-class shot. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Andre !!The main reason I presented it in B&W was because of the very dull original color, which was due to the rain. It was very flat and uninteresting. So it was converted to B&W and I boosted contrast for more dramatic look. The vignetting comes from the Olympus Pin-Hole Art Filter.

Hello Robin,Thank you for sharing your great moment in the case of your Sony camera and the God's sent man. At one moment, I thought you lost your Sony camera. The image...fantastic. Love the faces of joy shown by the subject matter. The couple will love this shot for a long time.Hope you enjoy your busy weekends ahead.Happy shooting.John RagaiPs: This weekend DKSH Annual Dinner. Can't wait to shoot..lol.

The weather sealing is a nice feature of the E-5, one I fondly recall from my E-30 and 14-54 II. Of course it's shared by many comparable cameras, including the Sony A77 and the Pentax K-5 series. Son only has one weather-sealed lens for general use (the 16-50, the 500 is also sealed, Sony is just now rolling out sealed lenses as the A77 was their first fully sealed body), but Pentax has an entire lineup of lenses, with the DA* and WR lenses all being weather sealed and has been making fully sealed bodies since the K10D.

Note that the Olympus cameras and lenses comparable to the A350 and 18-70 are not sealed either (the closest comparison being the E-620 and ZD 14-42), it's not really fair to compare a pro/semi-pro camera like the E-5 to a midrange consumer camera like the A350 on features like that.

Hello mawz,Perhaps you are getting a wrong impression of me comparing the cameras. I never did, and the reason I get the Sony was as a backup system, which recently I found to be quite handful as a second camera, a method of using two cameras with different lenses attached is still experimental. The reason I mentioned about the Sony in the final part of my blog, was the "thank goodness for kind people" moment. I was truly grateful for that young gentlemen who took care of my camera. As for the rest of the entry, it was the argument of using an older camera, the E-5, against newer and more powerful cameras from other brands. I specifically mentioned E-5 may not be better in terms of resolution, high ISO and dynamic range. If I were to compare with the A350, honestly, E-5 was much more superior in everything ! My original point was only discussing on my faith and trust in E-5, the Olympus weather sealed system, and why sometimes, without expecting it, the weather sealing comes in really useful. You need it, when you need it. And I love that Sony !!

I had an E-1 and and E-3 that were stolen from my car earlier this year. The E-3 had the 12-60 and the E-1 the 50-200SWD. I had them both because of their environmental sealing. Insurance made me whole so that eventually I can replace them. Having said that, I am not quite sure I want to go back to Olympus, specifically two new E-5s. I have been looking at replacing them with a pair of Sony α77s, one of them with the 16-50/2.8. I don't know what I'd replace the Zuiko 50-200mm with, as none of the Sony long zooms are weather sealed. The E-1/E-3 weather sealing has helped me many times, especially here in central Florida, where it's wet and muggy most of the year.

I still have an E-1 and the 50mm macro, as well as the 9-18mm, and I still have all my µ4:3rds bodies and lenses, which helps with my "shutter therapy." But the µ4:3rds cameras aren't weather sealed, and I'm not convinced yet to get an E-M5. The E-3 in particular might be an old warhorse, but I miss it mightily. I'm heavily conflicted what to do next.

Perhaps what would make more sense to your readers is getting the same system or camera, like an E-620 or even an E-3. Oly, when are you releasing the next 4/3 camera. Rumours are it is going to be a hybrid. Very interesting and I like the idea of being able to use existing 4/3's lenses and m4/3's lenses. Any inside scoop on this one Robin? Maybe your Oly contacts can share some :)

Hey Eugene,I deal with Olympus Malaysia marketing executives, so I really do not know whats happening in Japan. They only come to me with new gear, when they are already available for testing and reviews.

Hey Mark,Thanks for the kind words. I only have an E-PL1, and I do not have the adapter to use the 11-22mm. I have briefly tried it before on my friends PEN cameras, and yes, the AF is quite slow on m4/3.